Balance

I decided to write today as all the kids are down for quiet/nap time and I've faced an unusual dilemma today. Usually the day are pretty busy and time at a computer or to watch a TV show are rare, but today was especially frustrating. As many have heard Osama Bin Laden has been killed and the world is experiencing history once again. I would love to have the TV on reporting the news so I could see and experience these events given their significance, however due to having multiple ages and other peoples children under my roof I am unable to keep the news on these events due to the potential violence, unseemly language, and that it would disrupt the daily schedule. Instead, I find myself sitting wondering what is being said, occurring, and if any change is present or just anticipated at this moment.


As a parent, we all must decide what we want our children exposed to and as a caregiver it is not my place to expose other people’s children to something like this which potentially will display violence. If it were just my children I would put this on as I feel the moment is significant and something that they should be exposed to even at their young age due to its historical significance. A child may not fully understand what is occurring, but when they are older I will be able to say to them you saw this on TV and heard it when it happened.

However, this will have to wait until this evening when it’s just my kids and no structured educational program is occurring. That said a part of me is glad that I'm not able to just put on the TV and instead I am experiencing another day of these children’s growth. If the news was on I may have missed two of the kids creating a game where they see who can do a puzzle the fastest, or how the older kids decided to try to teach the younger kids a new alphabet letter they learned today, or a toddler making noises and bouncing a toy to entertain a baby. These are important moments as well and as part of me would enjoy being able to keep up on the world events, this micro world in my home has events of its own occurring as well. This causes me to remember that the world events will still be on the news or on the web when the kids go to sleep at night, but the events happening here do not have a playback or repeat button that can be hit.

I end this first post by leaving you with this simple realization I have had today and will probably have again: It is important to keep yourself aware of what is going on in the world around you as lesson can be learned from these major events that will go down in history, however never allow yourself to become so wrapped up in the outside world that you miss out on the historical events of your own life!

Abby